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the edge and'grasps both sides of the leather or other material or not.

@einen tats @stint @Hire GEORGE EOUGET'ON, OE EUDsONMAssAOEUsETTs.

Letters Patent No. 64,015, dated prz'l 23, 1867. l

IMPROVEMENT IN SHOES.

Be it known that I, GEORGE HOUGHTON, of Hudson, in the county of Middlesex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Means ofFastening or Staying Seived Sea-ms in Boot and Shoes, and other articles; and I declare the following to be a true specification and description thereof. i

I annex a drawing showing this invention as prepared for and applied to a shoe or laced boot.

Figure 1 is the stay prepared for folding over and grasping both sides of the material.v Letters crepresent the places for fastenings, eyelets, rivets, or other things..

Figure 2 is a laced boot with said stay applied. Letter a represents the side seam, letter b the stay or ,fastening applied. l

Figure 3 is the form of the stay when not foldedover, but used singly or on each side.

The weakest part of the seams by which the upper leathers of boots and shoes aresewed together is at the exposed edge-'where the seam ends. Often it is 'here that the greatest strain upon the seams comes. My

improvementconsists in guarding and strengthening the seam at this its most exposed point.

I take a strip of thin metal, Ofa form appropriate for the place to which it is to be applied; this I fold over the edge of the leather, or other material of which the boot or shoe is made, at' the seam, allowing it to extend `far enough from the edge and on each side of the seam to have' a strong hold on the leather or other material. 1 This strip, thus grasping the leather or other material in its fold, I fasten on each side of the seani by eyelets,

rivets, or other fastening. passing through the whole. There is an advantage in using eyelets in preference to other fastening, in that the eyelets serve for or make part of the holes for the .lacings in laced boots'and shoes. Instead of the strip of thin metal thus folded over as described, two strips, one on each side of the leather er other material, or one strip only upon one side, and fastening the same in like manner, may be used, but I prefer the strip folded over as described for most articles.

I am aware of the devices used for protecting thevfront or vamp of the shoe as described in Patents 58,905.4 and 58,955, granted to Shaw, Worcester, and Corey. I do not vrclaim any such protection; but what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The staying or fastening of sewed seams in the upper leathers of boots and shoes and other articles by means of a strip of thin metal extending on each side of the seam, whether the same is folded or extends over GEORGE HOUGHTON.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL WELLS, Jr., 'SAMUEL NIcOLsoN. 

